🥩 Classic Beef Stew with Tender Stew Meat

A comforting, hearty beef stew made with tender chunks of stew meat, rich broth, and flavorful vegetables — perfect for cozy dinners.

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🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)

🔹 Beef & Coating

• 2 lbs beef stew meat (chuck roast, cut into 1–2 inch cubes)

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

🔹 Vegetables

• 3 medium carrots, sliced into 1-inch pieces

• 2 celery stalks, sliced

• 1 large onion, diced

• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

🔹 Broth & Flavor

• 4 cups beef broth

• 1 cup red wine (optional, can use extra broth)

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp dried rosemary

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

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👩‍🍳 Instructions

1️⃣ Prep the Beef

1. Pat beef cubes dry.

2. In a bowl, toss beef with flour, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.

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2️⃣ Brown the Beef

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Brown beef in batches, 2–3 minutes per side. Don’t overcrowd the pan.

3. Remove beef and set aside.

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3️⃣ Sauté Aromatics

1. In same pot, add onion, celery, and carrots.

2. Cook 3–4 minutes until slightly softened.

3. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. Stir in tomato paste.

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4️⃣ Deglaze & Simmer

1. Pour in red wine (or a bit of broth) to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits.

2. Return beef to pot.

3. Add remaining beef broth, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 1½–2 hours until beef is tender.

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5️⃣ Add Potatoes

• Add cubed potatoes about 30–40 minutes before stew is done.

• Continue simmering until potatoes are tender.

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6️⃣ Finish & Serve

• Remove bay leaves.

• Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

• Serve hot, optionally with fresh parsley garnish and crusty bread.

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💡 Tips for Best Stew

✔ Use chuck or stew beef for tenderness
✔ Brown beef in batches for deep flavor
✔ Low and slow simmer gives melt-in-your-mouth beef
✔ For thicker stew, mix 1–2 tbsp flour or cornstarch with water and stir in near the end

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🌿 Variations

• Red Wine Beef Stew: Use 2 cups red wine + 2 cups broth

• Slow Cooker Version: Cook on LOW 6–8 hours or HIGH 3–4 hours

• Vegetable Boost: Add mushrooms, parsnips, or peas

• Spicy Stew: Add ½ tsp cayenne or smoked paprika

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If you want, I can also give a one-pot pressure cooker version that’s done in under an hour with the same tender results. Do you want me to do that?